Zero insertion levered interference connection

Claim 1

An electrical connector comprising male and female contacts engageable by elastic deformation of the male contact, the female contact having a central axis and having a pair of spaced contact surfaces extending parallel to said axis for receiving the male contact between them; the male contact comprising an elongate body formed with an enlargement at its free end projecting from opposite sides of the body, distal parts of the enlargement on opposite sides of the body defining male contact surfaces spaced apart by a distance greater than the spacing between the female contact surfaces, parts of the enlargement proximal to the contact surfaces falling within a circular envelope of diameter equal to the spacing between and passing through the male contact surfaces, a slot extending into the enlargement longitudinally between the male contact surfaces from an end of the enlargement remote from the body, the arrangement being such that the body can be oriented at a first inclination relative to said axis the female contact for insertion of the enlargement into the female contact with minimum interference between the enlargement and the female contact surfaces, and thereafter can be reoriented by rotation relative to the female contact to a second inclination relative to said axis to present maximum interference and elastically to deform the male contact surfaces towards each other as the male contact surfaces with respective female contact surfaces engage.